It was a suffocating, hundred-and-twenty-degree heatwave, and my roommate, Jenna Lynn, hadn't managed to snag a bus ticket home. She’d practically begged to crash at my place to escape the brutal heat. In my last life, I’d felt sorry for Jenna Lynn, thinking of her as a cash-strapped student with nowhere to go, and I'd let her in. I opened the door, and that was my fatal mistake. She wasn't alone. She'd brought her entire family with her, baggage and all. They ate my food, wore my clothes, used my everything, and then, as their final, sickening act of greed, they dragged me deep into the backcountry to be a forced bride for her older, unmarried brother. Refusing to be subjected to such a humiliation, I slammed my head against the wall of a pigpen and ended my own life. When I opened my eyes again, I was back. Back to the day my roommate came knocking. 1 My hand was hovering over the doorknob. One slight turn and the door would swing open. But my body was trembling, a shock of pure terror seizing me, and I snatched my right hand back. Just inches. I was just one small, careless step away from letting Jenna Lynn and her monstrous family back into my life! Knock. Knock. Knock. A soft, pleading voice drifted through the thick wood of the door. “Lila, open up, it’s me, Jenna Lynn.” Last time, I’d seen a poor, pitiful college student—a scholarship kid, no less. After her watery-eyed confession about being stranded, I’d agreed to let her stay for two months, until the fall semester started. I never imagined that decision would cost me my entire future. The moment I’d opened that door, I was surrounded. Jenna Lynn, her parents, her towering brother—a whole family unit pushing their way into my home, staking a hostile claim. Before I could even process what was happening, she swiped my phone, cutting me off. I couldn’t call the police. I couldn’t escape their control. I was trapped under the same roof with them. It all ended with her avaricious family taking me into the mountains and leaving me for dead. I pulled up the live feed for the security camera mounted outside the door. Black. Nothing but an inky void. They must have planned this. They’d already covered the lens with tape. The knocking escalated from a gentle tap-tap-tap to an impatient, heavy drumming. “Lila, are you home? I know this is the address! The address is right, isn't it?" “Hello? Don’t be scared, it’s just me, your roommate Jenna Lynn. Please, open up, I’m so hot—” I crouched low inside, making no sound. My phone screen flared with an incoming text from her. Jenna Lynn: Lila, I couldn’t get a ticket home, and I literally have nowhere to go. Could I please just crash at your place for a few days? Followed by a small, wounded-looking emoji. I sneered. I didn't bother to reply. In my previous life, that feigned helplessness, coupled with her quiet, seemingly diligent nature at school, had been enough to melt my heart. She was my roommate. I didn't want any drama for the next few years of college, and I certainly didn't want to offend her. But Jenna Lynn wasn't a girl in need; she was a viper waiting to strike. I ignored her text, pretending my house was empty. Jenna Lynn’s relentless messages quickly piled up in the chat thread. Jenna Lynn: Lila, it’s so hot outside, nearly 120 degrees. Can you at least let me in for a drink of water? I really think I'm going to get heatstroke… Jenna Lynn: Please, please, pretty please~ She attached a cute, cuddly capybara sticker. 2 Jenna Lynn was the poorest of the four of us in the dorm. She was usually silent and seemed meek and earnest. The rest of us felt sympathy for her, constantly sharing snacks, basic necessities, and free meals. We even helped her apply for financial aid and the department scholarship. Jenna Lynn never once offered anything in return. At the time, I didn't care. It was a simple act of kindness, not a transaction. But now, in hindsight, that tiny detail was a glaring sign of her character. Even if her family was poor, she never brought back so much as a local delicacy or a small souvenir. She simply wanted to mooch off all three of us. And I’d never given Jenna Lynn my home address. I guessed she must have found it through one of my online order receipts or a class registry form. My home is a bit secluded—a sturdy, standalone building. The second floor is my living space, and the ground floor is a small convenience store I run. Because I was a young woman living alone in a remote area, I’d made sure the place was secure. The front door had a specialized smart lock, and the windows were fortified with shatterproof glass. Anticipating the record-breaking heat, I’d ordered three extra air conditioning units and stockpiled a mountain of supplies for the store. But it all ended up being a gift for them. After they forced their way in, Jenna Lynn’s family took a liking to my little shop. And her brother, Jared, was a man desperate for a wife. Ultimately, they settled on me. They wanted me as their daughter-in-law. “She's a little too skinny, and her hips are small—not good for bearing children. But it's fine, your mother doesn't mind!” Jenna Lynn’s mother, Mrs. Bell, had said, looking me up and down. “She barely has any chest. The streamers I watch online all have huge chests and big butts… Tsk. Her face is decent, though. She'll have to do,” Jared had scoffed, evaluating my body like a piece of livestock. I refused, of course, but they had my phone. They outnumbered me. I couldn’t fight them, couldn’t run. And Jenna Lynn, the timid girl from school, stood right in front of me and suggested: “Weddings are just a waste of money. Why don’t we just let our brother and ‘sister-in-law’ have their wedding night right here? Once the deed is done... she won’t have any choice, right?” A sharp pain shot through my palm. My fingernails were digging deep into my skin as the memory flashed back. We were roommates for two years. I'd gone out of my way to help her, worried she felt disadvantaged. How could my kindness be repaid with such malice? She wasn't satisfied with the help I gave; she wanted to bleed me dry. 3 Since I wasn't responding to her texts or answering the door, Jenna Lynn started a phone blitz. The calls kept coming, quickly turning into a cascade of “99+ Missed Calls.” The constant ringing was cutting off my data connection. Irritated, I finally hung up the calls and sent her a single text message. Me: Don’t bother. I’m not home. Seeing a reply, Jenna Lynn finally stopped calling. Jenna Lynn: It’s summer break. How could you not be home? Are you traveling? I’ll wait for you right outside the door (=^^=) I replied, my voice dry in my head: I’m really not home. Go back. Get a hotel if you have to. Outside the door, Jenna Lynn impatiently ran her fingers through her hair, then yelled into the corner of the building. “Stop hiding, come out! My roommate isn't home!” A rustling sound, and then her family members began to speak. Her Dad, Mr. Bell: “Is this girl stupid? Not staying home in this crazy heat? Where could she have gone?” Mrs. Bell: “She’s probably lying to us. She thinks we’re poor, and she doesn’t want us to come in.” “Pah!” A thick glob of spit hit my door. Her brother, Jared, was big and dark, and his eyes were lasciviously fixed on my front door. “Hey, sis, is your roommate pretty? Does she have a boyfriend?” Jenna Lynn thought for a moment. “No, she doesn’t. But Lila is a city girl. She’s snobby and looks down on us country folk. She probably won’t even look at you.” “But, she’s probably telling the truth about not being home… Lila has no reason to lie to me. She doesn’t know I brought you guys. In the dorm, she always pretended to be nice and took care of me—she’s a total fake. If she were home, she’d be rushing to let me in.” Mrs. Bell kicked my door. “Our son is so handsome! She wouldn’t even give him a chance? It’s a huge blessing for her that he’d even consider her!” Jenna Lynn pursed her lips. “City girls are all like that, arrogant and think too highly of themselves.” Mrs. Bell’s eyes darted around. “Once we get in, I’ll teach her a lesson…” Mr. Bell lit a hand-rolled cigarette, his face a mask of impatience. “Forget the lesson for now. If she's not home, what are we supposed to do? Die of heatstroke outside?” Jenna Lynn replied, “I’ll beg her again. She loves to act like a good person. Even if she's out, she’ll definitely rush back to let me in!” Mr. Bell: “She’ll agree with all of us standing here?” Jenna Lynn shrugged. “It’s fine. When she gets back, you guys just hide in the corner. When she opens the door, we all rush in. What’s one girl going to do against four of us?” “Besides, there are four of us and only one of her. Once the door is open… we call the shots.” Mrs. Bell gave a knowing, wicked laugh. “See? It’s useful to have a daughter. The crazy old woman next door told me to throw you in the lake when I had you. Glad I kept you! My clever girl, going to college and finding your brother a wife!” Jenna Lynn’s brother, Jared, pounded his chest. “Don’t worry, when your roommate Lila is mine, I won’t mistreat her.” “And I’ll let you manage this city shop.” Hearing them discuss their twisted fantasy future made me want to vomit. The sheer audacity! That's exactly what happened last time. I opened the door, they charged in, and I couldn't stop them. I tried to kick them out, but Jenna Lynn immediately snatched my phone. I couldn't call anyone. Mrs. Bell declared me her future daughter-in-law. She hated the sight of me. She forced me to do chores and wait on her, my self-appointed "mother-in-law." If I messed up, she’d whip me with a thin stick. I’d never cooked in my life. The kitchen burned my hands until they were covered in blisters. Mr. Bell, my self-appointed "father-in-law," made me wash his filthy, sixty-something-year-old feet. “A daughter-in-law is the best! No need to go to a foot spa anymore, heh heh…” Jenna Lynn was the most wicked of them all. She plotted to get me drunk. They locked Jared and me in the master bedroom, planning to consummate the marriage immediately, before I had a chance to escape. No matter how loudly I screamed for help inside the bedroom, the three of them outside remained indifferent. Jenna Lynn’s usually meek face was a mask of sinister triumph. “How does it feel to look down on us country people? Be a good girl now, won’t you?” “You should be grateful to marry my brother. He’s strong, and so many girls are lining up for him. You got lucky.” I cried and screamed, pleading for her to show a shred of conscience. “Jenna Lynn, I was so good to you at school! I helped you get scholarships, brought you food and supplies, introduced you to my friends, and tutored you! I never did anything to hurt you! Why are you doing this?!” Jenna Lynn sneered with disdain. “You think you were helping me? You were just using me as a tool to show off your own kindness! Don’t you think I know? You’re just a fake good person. Deep down, all of you look down on me! You all deserve to die!” “You know what? I hate your smug, high-and-mighty face the most! You think being rich makes you better? It’s just good luck you were born into money! Every time you brought me food, it made me sick! Who do you think you are, treating me like a beggar who can’t feed herself, you bitch!” “I’ll deal with you first, and then the other two roommates won’t be spared either. Heh heh…” I was dumbstruck. The reason for her cruelty was beyond ludicrous. It was the classic “give a man a bowl of rice and you feed him for a day; give him a bag of rice and you create an enemy.” I brought Jenna Lynn food because I saw her, a skinny young girl, eating steamed buns and pickles every single day. I felt pity for what I assumed was a difficult life as a girl from a patriarchal, rural family. I used my allowance to buy her good food, just trying to help, with no expectation of anything in return. … The sound of my phone ringing brought me back to the present. Jenna Lynn was still trying to persuade me, texts coming in relentlessly. Jenna Lynn: Lila, you know my family is poor, and I can't afford a hotel. Please, you're the kindest one. Just let me stay for a few days, I'll go home as soon as I get a ticket, okay? Jenna Lynn: It is so hot out here. If you don't save me, I'm literally going to die of heatstroke. It's almost 120 degrees! 4 I thought for a moment, then replied: I’m really not home. I went on a trip to the next state. Even if I rushed back to pick you up, I wouldn’t make it in time. Outside the door, Jenna Lynn was cursing under her breath. “Is she crazy? Spending money on a trip? That’s our family’s money she’s wasting!” Mrs. Bell slapped her thigh. “What a waste! Throwing our money away! She can't be trusted with money once she's ours. She’ll bankrupt us!” Though she was clearly furious, Jenna Lynn kept up her pathetic act on the phone. Jenna Lynn: Lila, please. I’ve already spent all my ticket money on a hotel the last few days, and I can’t afford the bus ticket now… I had no choice but to come to you. I replied, deadpan: I can lend you the ticket money. You can take the express bus now. Jenna Lynn was gritting her teeth. “I’m not that kind of person. My mom taught me not to take things from other people. I can’t take your money.” “How about… you just tell me the password to your front door? Just let me in to cool down for a few minutes. Please, be a good person.” I didn’t budge: My ground floor is a store. It’s full of inventory. I can’t risk things going missing. No matter how Jenna Lynn pleaded, my answers were firm: It's inconvenient. I'm sorry. Outside, Jenna Lynn was so angry she started kicking the door. “That idiot! Risk things going missing? What does she mean? Is she implying I’m a thief?! Who the hell does she think she is!” Mrs. Bell patted her back to calm her down. “Don’t be mad! Just figure out a way to trick her into coming back. I’ll teach that little brat a lesson once we’re inside, how dare she treat her sister-in-law like this!” Jenna Lynn hissed, “Once she’s in my family, let's see how arrogant she still is! Mom, you have to help me teach her how to behave.” “Of course, honey, I’ll help. But it’s too hot. We need to figure out how to open this door first.” “How? She’s not replying to my texts now.” Mr. Bell offered a devious suggestion: “Why don’t you try the password? Maybe you can guess it?” 5 Behind the door, a jolt of alarm went through me. Sweat instantly beaded on my palms. What if Jenna Lynn actually guessed it? Once that outer door was breached, I’d be completely exposed. The password was simple: my birthday, month, and year. I’d celebrated my birthday in the dorm with my roommates, and Jenna Lynn had been there. I heard Mrs. Bell's voice: “I heard city girls are all about that ‘special occasion’ nonsense. Try her birthday first.” Beep. Beep. Beep— Someone was entering a code at the lock. I dashed into the kitchen, grabbed a heavy butcher knife, and quietly hid behind the door. It was too late. Whoever came in first, I would strike them down. My hands were slick with sweat, almost too slick to grip the knife. The horrific memories of my last life crashed into my mind. Jenna Lynn’s brother, Jared, was big and strong, ate like a horse, and had incredible stamina. Her parents, though in their sixties, were old-school farm workers and deceptively strong. Last time, I fought back. I couldn't even overpower Mrs. Bell. If I struck the first person, what would I do about the three others? My panic intensified. The hand gripping the knife shook uncontrollably. Outside, Jenna Lynn finished typing. Beep. Beep. Beep— Access Denied. I collapsed onto the floor, wiping a streak of cold sweat from my forehead. Did Jenna Lynn not remember my birthday? Outside, Jenna Lynn was furiously scratching her head. “That’s wrong! What was the date again? I don’t quite remember.” Mrs. Bell grabbed her ear. “You forgot that? You’re in college, and you can’t remember anything!” Jenna Lynn pouted. “So what if Lila celebrated her birthday in the dorm? It was just her showing off. Who cares about her birthday? I threw away her cake. I hate that kind of showing off!” “She bought that expensive cake just to spite me! Doesn’t she know I can’t afford it, she’s such a jerk!” Jenna Lynn rolled her eyes and kept trying random numbers. “Wrong… Still wrong… What the hell is it?” “She went on a trip and didn’t even send me the password. She has no manners. I’m her roommate. Doesn’t she worry about offending me when school starts? Hmph!” 6 Jenna Lynn suddenly remembered something. She pulled out her phone and made a call. “I’ll ask the other two. They must remember Lila’s birthday.” My heart plummeted. I frantically texted my two other roommates. I told them, Do not tell her anything about me. After a few tense seconds, they hadn’t replied. I heard Jenna Lynn’s call connect outside. “Hello? Alice, do you remember Lila’s birthday?” “Oh, hi. I want to surprise her and get her a gift, but I’m terrible with dates, and I don’t want to mess it up… Do you remember?” “Oh, okay… October 19th? Got it.” Jenna Lynn hung up, a sly smile on her face. “Type it in. 1019.” 7 Beep. Beep. Beep— Access Denied. Jenna Lynn’s eyes widened in disbelief. “How is that possible?! Did Alice lie to me?!” I let out a quiet sigh of relief. My roommate had given the Gregorian calendar birthday. My door code was set to my Lunar calendar birthday. Jenna Lynn immediately called our other roommate, Hannah. But Hannah gave the exact same date as Alice. Jenna Lynn racked her brain, trying different number combinations. “Maybe the password isn’t her birthday?” “No way… I specifically remember Lila saying in the dorm that she has a terrible memory, so she uses her birthday for almost all her passwords.” “What’s wrong with this? How could her front door code not be it?” Before hanging up, Jenna Lynn asked a final question. “Is Lila really traveling to the next state? Do you know when she’s coming back? How long is her trip?” Hannah sounded confused: “Traveling? No, we invited her, and she said no, she wanted to stay home and enjoy the AC. She’s home.” “WHAT?!” Jenna Lynn shrieked. “Are you sure she’s home?” After hanging up, Jenna Lynn was furious. She started kicking and pounding my door. She was screaming as she kicked. “Dad, Mom, Jared! That bitch lied to me! She’s been home the whole time, hiding, but she told me she was traveling!” “Lila! If you’re going to lie, have the guts to open the door! Why are you hiding? If you want to say no, just say it! What’s with the lies?!” Mrs. Bell was outraged. “The little weasel! We're out here practically frying, and she’s inside enjoying the air conditioning! That’s evil!” Mr. Bell coughed and delivered a hard kick to my door. “If you want to marry into the Bell family, you need to learn manners! This is unacceptable!” Jared frowned deeply. “This new ‘wife’ is too much trouble. Did college make her wild? She needs to drop out and move back to the village. She’ll quiet down in a few days.” “I told you girls shouldn’t be educated.” Hearing their arrogance, my teeth ground in anger. Last time, I had pretended to be compliant, putting on the act of a good, obedient girl. And what did that get me? They dragged me into the depths of the mountains, planning to never let me out. The memory of the torture I suffered in that village made me bite down until my gums bled. To prevent me from escaping, Jenna Lynn had broken my legs, forcing me to crawl. I’d knelt and begged her to let me go. She just threw me into the pigpen and locked me in with the animals. Forced to eat with the pigs. “Hahahaha… Look at you, hahaha…” A cold hatred boiled up. A plan for revenge, ice-cold and precise, began to form in my mind. If I remembered correctly, the power to this entire district was scheduled to be cut off tonight at midnight due to the extreme heat overloading the grid. Power wouldn’t be restored for seven days. My little store was a reinforced, standalone metal building. The windows were custom-made, practically impossible to smash. The moment the power shut down, the specialized electronic lock would fail, locking the door permanently. This place would become a high-temperature prison—a thousand times worse than the 120-degree heat outside! If I could trick them into coming in, and then lock the doors and windows from the outside… This area was remote, and the building was soundproof. Trapped inside, their screams would reach no one. Seven days. They would be cooked alive, steamed in their own greed. Could I really do it?
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